


The Show Goes On

by inadistantworld



Series: Rare Pair Week [7]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Multi, Theater AU, Vox Machina the Play, play au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-09
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-25 19:03:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12042261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inadistantworld/pseuds/inadistantworld
Summary: Scanlan falls sick in the middle of the show and can't continue, leaving Tary to take his place while he recovers.





	The Show Goes On

**Author's Note:**

> Shit guys, I'm so sorry. I have been in a really rough place mentally and this is nothing like what I wanted to write for you guys, but I thought I'd rather write it and get it out (and maybe one of you will get inspired to do a much cooler piece for me to read) than just be upset that I never did it, ya know? So here it is and I hope you guys at least enjoy it a little bit

The kiss was electric. Hearts stopped beating and sped up all at the same time, his hand, the white haired man’s hand, drifted up and cupped her cheek, drawing her in. The woman, dark hair in a braid with blue feathers, seemed frozen. He surprised her, she didn’t know he knew, she never thought he’d feel the same way, she never imagined he’d kiss her first.

The curtain swung shut and as Percy and Vex’ahlia pulled away they listened to the wonderful sound of applause and gave each other a quiet low five.

Around them the stage was already in motion, stage hands in all black moved the props and the woodsy setting behind them was being rolled off and a new one rolled in.

“Brilliant as always, darling,” Vex teased and touched his nose before they exited the stage (the bear would come later).

Tary, Vex’s best friend and Percy’s lovable boyfriend, was waiting just off stage and Percy wasted no time wrapping his arms around the blonde. Tary fake gasped, his hand on his chest, “You come to me after kissing another? And a woman no less! Right in front of me!”

A smile teased at Percy’s lips, “She was nothing, babe, it was all business.”

It was Vex’s turn to act shocked, “Business? That’s not what you said earlier!” And when she turned to pretend to stomp off she saw her own blonde partner, Pike.

The shorter woman raised her eyebrows, “I thought we said you’d invite me when you found someone interesting.”

One of Vex’s delicate, long fingers tipped Pike’s chin up and she murmured, “Not nearly as interesting as you are, dear,” and kissed her gently.

Percy, tired of waiting for his prize of an act well done, kissed his boyfriend as well.

Vax made a disgusted sound as he came closer, “Sister, that’s disgusting I don’t want to see that.”

Vex pulled away and looked at her brother, “You’re dating Scanlan, I’m not sure you have room to talk. I know too much about that man.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Vax joked.

Percy looked around, a frown worrying at his face now, “Has anyone seen Keyleth and Grog? I mean I know we’re at intermission but I thought we’d run over that line she had trouble with yesterday.”

Scanlan appeared then, as if summoned by something, or perhaps was just waiting for a perfect cue. There was a reason he had taken up theater and it wasn’t for the plethora of job opportunities. It was for the drama.

“Did I hear something about Keyleth and Grog?” He asked with a hand to his ear.

Vex rolled her eyes but didn’t hide the smile, “What do you know?”

“Oh, I don’t know anything!” One look at his face told them it was a bold faced lie, “Maybe she’s in the storage room waiting to practice her line there? It is quieter and much more private there, isn’t it?”

Vex gasped, not needing anymore hints, and rushed off to the room (usually locked) where they kept costumes and props they didn’t need that month. Vex slid to a stop in front of the door, her friends trailing along behind her, and with some tips she picked up from Vax, she popped the very simple lock open and swung the door open to find them.

Grog, the huge football star and one of the main actors at The University of Emon (good ol’ U of E!) with the smaller, but still quite toned (Vex had admired her biceps many times) Keyleth pinned between him and the wall and her hands all over him while they made out.

“I knew it!” Vex’s eyes were huge and her mouth hung open as she pointed at them, “Keyleth!”

The sprang apart, mostly because Keyleth pushed him away, leaving Grog very dazed. “Vex!”

“Keyleth!” Vax said as he took his place beside his sister.

“Vax!” Her voice was getting higher.

“Grog!” Pike sounded shocked and a little unhappy, probably because he hadn’t told her.

“Pike?” He cocked his head to the side as he looked at his growing group of friends, each having something to say as they stepped up.

“Oh my word,” Percy said with a glint in his eye.

Keyleth stepped toward them, her hands in front of her, “Percy, I—”

“Keyleth! Grog! What is this?” Tary asked, his voice high with disbelief.

“I believe they’ve been hiding something from us,” Percy answered for them.

“Well we just, you know,” Keyleth was doing all sorts of hand motions but not managing to say the words that went with them.

“We were waiting until tomorrow,” Grog half explained.

“We wanted to wait until the play was over, we didn’t want to distract anyone with it. Do you remember what happened when Tary and Percy started dating during A Midsummer’s Dream?” Keyleth defended herself pretty well, Vex would give her that.

“Not our fault you didn’t knock,” It was a voice only Percy could do, that prideful ‘that’s right’ voice.

“What? I can pick locks now. Maybe you should keep your dick in your pants until you get home if you don’t want me finding out,” Vex pursed her lips.

“You better hope you don’t walk in on Vax next time,” Keyleth warned and Vex shivered with disgust at the mere thought.

“Whatever, tell me everything,” she grabbed Keyleth’s hand and started pulling her out of the room. Vex noticed Pike nod and wink at Grog, obvious approval that made him blush a little bit.

Then he frowned and looked around, “’Ey, where’s Scanlan?”

Vax looked around, he’d thought he was right behind him. Instead he saw Scanlan sitting on a milk crate about twenty feet away, beads of sweat on his brow and looking like he was going to throw up.

Vax rushed forward and dropped to his knees beside him. He took Scanlan’s cheeks in his hands and looked at him closely, “Scanlan? Babe? What’s wrong?”

Everyone was trying not to crowd him, standing a few steps away but craning their necks to get a closer look. They were all holding hands, seeking comfort from each other.

He shook his head, long hair falling in his face, and waved his hand weakly. “It’s nothing. I’m fine, just feeling a bit woozy is all.”

“That’s not fine, one second, I’m calling for help.” Vax stood up, and began looking around for a professor or someone who could actually do something.

And then Scanlan tipped to the side. Vax felt his hand go slack in his and quick as lightening, moving totally on instinct, caught him. But Scanlan was unconscious. Vax touched his cheek, whispering no over and over again, then swept him up bridal style and turned to his friend, “Get someone. Now. I’m taking him to the dressing room.”

Pike rushed off first, her short legs much faster than anyone would have guessed, and Grog rushed off in another direction, his giant legs taking him about as fast as one expected, which was very. Keyleth grabbed her phone and called 911, Vex helped her brother take him to the dressing room and settle him down. Percy and Tary stopped anyone from coming in to get a good look or anything. Percy even began lying, not wanting to cause any panic before a professor even arrived.

Pike and Grog came back together with Gilmore in tow. Professor Gilmore was your typical young theater teacher. Well, maybe not typical. He insisted everyone drop the word professor and just call him Gilmore, he usually wore silk, most of his movement was sweeping hand gestures, and he was a firm believer in all of the old theater sayings.

“Goodness,” he said as he seemed to glide across the room to where Scanlan was on the couch. Gilmore didn’t touch the couch, which was wise because everyone knew theater couches were a last resort and the most disgusting thing in any college. But then again nobody was going to lie Scanlan on the fucking floor. Besides, knowing Scanlan he was already half of what was on that couch.

“Gilmore,” Vax breathed a sigh of relief.

“What on earth happened?” The dark skinned man asked.

“I don’t know, he just, he was fine one minute and then I turned around and he didn’t look good and he just passed out.” Vax was trying very hard to say calm but the boy was made of about 105% emotion. Watching Vax try and stay calm when faced with something like this was like watching a child fill a water balloon way past what they should and everyone is just waiting for it to pop.

Vex was also in tears already. As was Keyleth. Pike was on the verge but she was also the one who was most familiar, she was technically a med student after all. But it was different with a friend and she was still only a little over a year in. “We called 911, they’re on their way now.”

“Good, good. I’ll make sure Allura stays with him while you’re on stage.”

“What do you mean?” Grog asked, shifting uncomfortably. “Like, I know you wanna keep going but Scanlan is a big part of the show.”

And Gilmore whipped out another one of his favorite clichéd lines. “Grog, my dear boy, the show must go on.”

“But—”

“Where’s Tary? He was Scanlan’s understudy, wasn’t he?” Gilmore peered over their heads (most of their heads, he was eye level with Grog’s collarbone).

Tary entered the room sheepishly at the sound of his name, Percy with more confidence but still cast Scanlan a worried glance. “Here, professor.”

“Perfect, you will take Scanlan’s place while he recovers.”

“Gilmore—” Vax didn’t look happy at all. Neither did Vex for that matter.

“We can delay the intermission a few minutes, get Taryon in costume and prepped, but we have promised a show and we must provide.”

“He doesn’t look anything like Scanlan, we can’t just pass him off as—”

Gilmore cut Vex off and snapped his fingers, “Of course. Tary, you will have to play a new character entirely. The last act ended with him having a huge fight with the rest of Vox Machina, we simply have to say that he left in the dead of night without telling anyone. And then, when you go to the tavern there will be Tary. And you will accept him into your party.”

Nobody really wanted to tell their professor it wouldn’t work and everyone would hate it, but Keyleth did anyways. “I don’t know, I mean, would Vox Machina really accept him like that?”

“They would! Because they must,” Gilmore gave them what would have been a very serious look if he wasn’t wearing a shirt that said, ‘Stage Manager: Someone who solves a problem you didn’t know you had in a way you don’t understand. (See also wizard, magician)’. “You’ll make a reason to. The play will now become a mix of improv and the script. You will do everything as close to the script as you can, but you will adapt to this new character as well. I have faith that if anyone can do it, it’ll be all of you.”

It occurred to Percy that everything was moving quite fast considering the circumstances, but as Tary and Gilmore started excitedly talking about a new character (which included some kind of metal man on very short notice?) he realized they didn’t have much of an option. If the play was to continue, which it was, then they couldn’t exactly wait for the EMTs to look at Scanlan. But it still felt a little weird.

Vax was kneeling beside Scanlan again. He held his hand and kissed his forehead. Vex had her hand on Vax’s shoulder but looked just as terrified, despite trying to comfort her brother. Grog looked almost more worried than Vax. He and Scanlan had been best friends. And Pike could only hold on to that emotion as long as she could do something about it, now it was starting to slip past the cracks.

Keyleth looked around at her friends, all of them raw and scared and most of them crying. Even Tary, who was excited to finally be onstage like he had been dreaming of, looked guilty and scared for Scanlan. And she wasn’t sure how they’d be able to go on stage like this.

Allura then strode into the room, “They’re almost here.” She sat on the couch beside Scanlan, somehow doing it gracefully and without looked even a little squeamish. “Everyone, fix your makeup, change costumes. I’ll take care of him for now. You have a lot to do and no time to do it in.”

And with that there was movement. Vex helped Pike touch up her makeup, dabbing away the tears and reapplying the scar prosthetic. Keyleth helped Percy restyle his hair, Vax was drawing another tattoo onto Grog that looked strangely like a ballsack with a lot of hair all over it. Pike gave him _that look_ and he transformed it into something more stage appropriate. And Tary was rushing in and out, new pieces of an elaborate costume on him every time he turned around. There was a lot of gold.

The EMTs arrived as they were preparing to step out. It was good to see in a way, it restarted the tears for the scene. They had enough time to reassure everyone that they’d take care of him and then, moments later, they were on stage.

 

It was an emotional talk with Keyleth and Vax that gave Vex and Pike a moment to go check on Scanlan again. “How is he?” Vex asked Allura and the two EMTs talking to her.

One looked over at them and nodded, “He’s alright. A bit dehydrated and overworked, but he’ll be alright. I was just saying that we’d really like to take him in, but in the full minute he was awake he said if we took him out of this room he would physically fight anyone could get his hands on. And while I think we could take him,” the EMT smiled jokingly, “I don’t think it’s worth taking him out of here if he doesn’t want to go. So my partner Tristan is going to stay, keep an eye on him, do what he can do to help, but mostly your friend just needs some rest. He’ll be alright.”

“Thank you.” Vex looked a little more at ease and started walking away with Pike on her arm.

The smaller woman paused and looked over her shoulder and for a second the EMT didn’t see the girl who flaunted her symbol of Sarenrae or the girl who reminded him of both a daughter and a mother at the same time just from the vibes she gave off. Instead there was a moment of pure fear when he looked into her eyes. “Anything happens to him and I’d leave town.”

The threat was vague enough to make his knees start shaking. And it was at that moment Grog’s massive form stepped in beside her. “Take care of my buddy.” The words didn’t sound like they should have been scary, even the tone of voice wasn’t anything special, but the two of him were looking at him and he thought he could see hell in their eyes.

“Yes-yes of course.”

Pike’s smile returned and she looked at Grog, “Are we about ready to be back on?”

“Yeah, they’re at that part where she’s all upset that he’s talking like he’s gonna die,” Grog said as they started walking away.

“Isn’t that all the time?” Vex teased and took her position.

 

When Pike was on stage with Vex, which wasn’t all the time because her character had a lot of personal storylines that kept her offstage, Vex had a hard time playing up the romance with Percy’s character. Not because she didn’t have the onstage chemistry with him or because they weren’t very good at pretending with each other, not even because she didn’t want Pike to see just how well they acted together and make her jealous. It was purely because every time Vex saw Pike what she felt could only be described as _immensely gay._

And now that Tary was on stage as well it only made Percy feel _immensely gay_ as well. There was a lot of ogling from everyone involved. And now that there was improv there was a lot of flirting, more so with Percy and Tary because they didn’t actually have any lines to go off of.

But this also opened up a new way of playing the characters. Neither one straight and their relationship not so confined. Were they all just very good friends? Was there more behind the scenes? Was it joking or serious? Nobody knew, but it fit the characters and didn’t detract from the romance that was actually in the story and the fans had just eaten it up. Well, they had when it was just Pike, they weren’t sure how they would with Tary. Until Tary’s character and Percy’s character were working on a project together. And Tary wiped away some of the fake dirt from Percy’s cheek and they shared a look that took the breath out of the room. And then Vex waltzed on stage and only affirmed how close they all were, planted one on Percy, and gave Tary’s cheek a few pats before bringing the plot back in. They all felt pretty confident that Tary was quite a welcome member to the team after that.

Vax was beside Scanlan whenever he wasn’t on stage. To the point that when Gilmore requested Allura help him with a new unfolding minor issue she felt comfortable leaving Scanlan in the hands of the EMT and Vax. Everyone else tried to stay next to him as well but Vax cut it very close, once he was even late on stage, but they were already improvising so much that it didn’t change anything really.

Grog and Keyleth’s new openness of their relationship found its way to the stage, as it had for everyone else, but it played out in a strengthening of friendship rather than a new romantic interest in the established relationship. It led to a lot of improvised talk about werewolves which Pike suspected wasn’t all for the play and that Grog really just was that interested in werewolves.

And the show went on. And it didn’t change too much, it didn’t need to, though everyone mentioned Scanlan’s character often on stage because it didn’t feel right to pretend he was just gone, and offstage they worried about him relentlessly. But the show went on, just like they were told it would.

However, the most surprising part happened as they came close to the end and a character who seemed familiar but not familiar enough walked on.

 

Scanlan’s eyes opened slowly and his head swam as he looked around, finding himself alone with a medic of some sort. He blinked his eyes into focus and licked his very dry lips, “Well you’re way too handsome to be a school nurse.”

The man laughed and said, “I’m a little out of your age group, bud. And your boyfriend might not take too kindly to me moving in on you.”

“I’m older than I look and it wouldn’t be the first time we’d had some fun.” The EMT looked like he was about to say something but Scanlan pushed himself up, “Let’s discuss that later though.”

“You shouldn’t be moving around yet, you still need some rest,” he put his hand on Scanlan’s shoulder to try and guide him down again but Scanlan brushed him off.

“You don’t understand, I have to get back out there, we have a show to put on.”

“They’ve got it covered, your understudy is out there. Don’t worry about the show, it’s going very well.” There was probably a better way to explain it.

Scanlan’s eyes flashed with what could only be described as trouble and a smirk lifted his lips. “I really have to go back on stage.”

“I can’t recommend that and I’ll have to get Allura or Gilmore to agree with me if you don’t lay down.” The EMT was firm but kind. It was sweet to think that he could convince Scanlan of anything.

“First, when I tell Gilmore my plan he will one hundred percent agree and encourage me and Allura will at least tell me she can’t stop me, which she can’t, and second I will pay you,” Scanlan fished around in his pocket and counted up his few spare dollars, “six dollars and thirty-seven cents if you let me leave right now without telling a soul.”

The real scary thing about Scanlan was his smile. Huge dimples, a glint in his eye, and an aura that said ‘trust me’ even when you knew you probably shouldn’t. Scanlan could tell you the sky was green and for a second you would believe him. At least until you looked up and then it was about 50/50 on if you still believed he had told you the truth and it had been green earlier.

Which was why the EMT sighed heavily and took the money because student loans didn’t pay themselves. “If you know you’ll get away with it why not just call them in now and let them help you?”

Scanlan closed his eyes, lowered his head, and said, “Why?” in a serious and brooding voice. And then looked up at the ceiling, eyes wide, a winning smile, and waved a hand in front of him, “For the drama of course!”

 

“I am Aes Adan.”

Which didn’t line up exactly right for anyone on stage but it really didn’t look right to Vex. Sure he was generally the right shape and sure his voice was close, but nothing was exact. This wasn’t Alex on stage like it was supposed to be. Or maybe Alex had a cold? They hadn’t been back stage in a while, maybe he fell and twisted his ankle, she didn’t know the understudy very well. But something was…not right.

Thankfully the whole act had been improv so what she did next was understandable.

As Aes Adan left the “tavern” and was crossing the little outside street they had set up on his way offstage, Vex followed him, leaving her friends very confused and starting to carry on the conversation without her.

She walked right up to Not-Alex and right before he disappeared behind the curtain she reached out, grabbed his shoulder, knocked the hat from his head and pulled the scarf from away from his face.

“Sam!” She shouted, thankfully staying in character enough to say the right name.

“Laura, quiet,” he hissed back, “nobody can know I’m here.”

Vax had thought he heard someone say Sam, and Keyleth must have too because she wasn’t paying attention to the conversation but was staring at the door. But nobody went to investigate until there was a lot of thudding and a few yelps of pain. At that they rushed out to the fake darkened street where they saw a tangle of limbs and intricate costumes. Underneath Vex was the very familiar body of Not-Alex.

“Sam,” Vax said breathlessly as Vex carefully pulled away from Scanlan, holding her elbow from where she fell.

And one by one everyone had their words with Sam, some of them nice and some of them not so much, but in the end he found himself a part of the team again. And Tary was surprisingly okay with that, Vex had thought that he would want to stay on a little longer, but backstage he said, “I did my job as the understudy. My time will come to be the lead, maybe in my new one man play I’m working on called, ‘Taryon Darrington’s Daring Adventures’. But Scanlan is able to be up there now and he should be. I don’t mind taking the backseat, I’m just glad I was along for the ride.”

Which was a surprisingly mature and selfless thing for Tary to say and it made Vex start to cry, not a difficult feat but still worth mentioning. She had known Tary for a long time now and he never ceased to amaze her. It had taken her time to get used to the whole arrogant rich kid façade (well, he was most definitely a rich kid still, or was until he admitted that he had essentially cut himself off from his family), but as she had gotten to know him he had changed so much. He put all of his friends before him now and while he still talked a big game it was obvious how much he loved them all, including Scanlan. And it made her weepy.

 

When it came time to take a deep bow Tary was up there. For the first time in his life he was on stage, holding Percy’s hand so tightly Percy wondered if it would fall off, and he bowed deeply with the rest of them. And then looked out over the crowd. Every one of them had seen him up on stage. And while it had been the most terrifying thing in his life it had been one of the most exciting.

And when the curtains fell Scanlan sagged into Vax’s arms, “I think I need to lie down.”

 

And that was the final performance of “The Rise of Vox Machina”. It was also the most talked about play the school had ever had. People raved about the final act and surprise twist.

And when they were at lunch the next day they noticed a lot of eyes on them and Tary’s face went bright red every time someone mentioned him in the play. It was only made worse/better when Gilmore strode in, laughing loudly and throwing a wink towards another very attractive teacher. And when he stopped at their table he held out a handful of booklets.

“I believe it’s time to start preparing for our next one, don’t you?”


End file.
